


Dearly Beloved

by Jibbly



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Spoilers, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Unrequited Love, mostly - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-23
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-05-28 16:28:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6336151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jibbly/pseuds/Jibbly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“What are you getting at, Tony.” the words were emotionless, but the blue eyes were full of warning.</p><p>“Barnes’ medical record classifies him as a beta.”</p><p>“Don’t talk about Bucky, Tony.”</p><p>Tony stopped as Steve’s words were laced with venom. His heart rate fast and scent spiking in relation to Steve’s.</p><p>“Were you two bonded?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Pepper and Tony are not together, but are very close and communicate with touch so if they seems handsy, that's y.  
> the first 2 chapter will be posted today, ir not tomorrow.

Tony had felt it in Sokovia. He should say, he didn’t feel it. 

The first time he noticed it, was when they were discussing the plan for taking down Ultron.

The blonde alpha had smiled down at his feet. “I have no plans tomorrow.” 

Their bond was gone. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They had never officially bonded, but they had been circling each other ever since New York. 

Sure, Tony was a bit of a romantic, which if asked he would deny, but even with all the people he had slept with, he had never felt it the way it was with Steve.

All of them had more or less come to a friendship after the hole in the sky had closed up, and Steve had even started visiting once in awhile. 

During one of these times, Him, Steve, and Pepper were going over the plans to set up members of the team with their own floor in the tower. 

_ “This is a bit over the top, Tony.” The blonde had sighed the words but there was a small smile on his face. _

_ Pouring himself and Pepper a drink, he smiled at the blonde. “Hey, Cap. I put a lot of feeling into those blueprints. And money. I’ve already started building.” He came down from the bar, to sit opposite of where Steve was currently holding said plans.  _

_ “Having everyone in the same building? You really think they’d all say yes?” _

_ Tony looked down into his drink, eyes seemingly far away. “Probably not, but I just want to let them know that they always have somewhere to go, you know Stripes.” _

_ Letting out a chuckle, Steve put down the paper and laid back on the couch. “Don’t call me Stripes, Tony.” _

_ Raising his hands in mock surrender, the brunette scooted closer to the table and rummaged through the stack to pull out one in particular. “Did you see your floor?” _

_ “I’m not staying here, Tony. I already have a place to live.” It was said gently, but with meaning.  _

_ Still, Steve flinched, when he picked up the smell of hurt on the omega.  _

_ “I know. You already told me, but I still did it anyway. Pepper said she was going to hire an interior decorator to furnish it with a whole bunch of old stuff so you feel right at home, grandpa.” _

_ “Tony.” Steve said and the brunette looked up. He felt his heart in his throat as he noticed that Steve had leaned in to hover over the table as well, only a few inches away from each other.  _

_ “I’m not going to live here.” _

_ Tony’s eyes flickered down to Steve’s lips, and back up to clear blue eyes. An action that was caught by the alpha. “But you can still visit.” _

_ Steve looked like the thoughts in his head were going a million miles a minutes. Looking into Tony’s eyes for a couple of seconds, Steve gave him a half smile. “Yeah, I guess I could.” _

_ Steve left a while after that, and he stared down at his drink on the table. A hand laid on his shoulder and made him jump, but he quickly settled down as Pepper sat down beside him. He gripped the her hand on his shoulder and let out a shaky exhale. _

_ He let her comforting beta scent wash over him as he started to realize something.  _

_ “Pepper, where did you go while Steve and I were talking?” _

_ She laid her head on his shoulder and answered him. “I didn’t go anywhere. I was right there at the bar.” _

_ He felt his anxiety creep up on him slowly. “Why didn’t you come sit down here on the couch?” _

_ She was quiet for a while, then pulled her hand from his shoulder and cradled his other hand in hers. “Because the two of you were scenting each other.” _

_ He turned to look at her then. “No, we weren’t.” _

_ She smiled sadly at him, before brushing her hand against his jaw. “Both of you were throwing off your scents. “ _

_ His eyes widened and he swallowed a hard lump in his throat. Pepper never lied to him, so he knew it was true.  _

_ \------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _

They would meet up every couple of weeks after that. Usually for press conferences and appearances, but they had been getting closer.Then Steve started to withdraw.

He rarely left DC, and when he would ask Natasha about him. She would give him the same answer. 

“He’s been working. A lot.”

Then he went to go help Fury out with Project Insight. The Alpha had stared at him when he asked where their favorite veteran was. 

“On a mission in Turkey.”

He had hacked into the Shield database and looked into Steve’s log. He had cringed when he saw the amount of hours the blonde was putting in. It was like was always working. 

Then a couple of months later, tony was looking at shotty cell phone footage of Steve fighting in the street with a masked man. The footage was shaky, but he saw how when the mask fell off, both Steve and the other man stopped fighting. He couldn’t see either of their faces, and then Shield was handcuffing Steve and the other person was gone. 

Tony had tried to contact him, but he was off the grind for what seemed like forever. 

Then Shield HQ was burned to the ground and every secret they kept was unleashed to the world. 

He got a hold of Natasha as soon as he could. She had just appeared in court and was annoyed. 

“What happened? Where’s Steve?”

She was quiet for a long time before answering him.

“ _ He’s at Washington General.” _

His heart stopped a beat. “Is he okay?” His voice was full of nerves, and the place where his reactor had once been reached.

“ _ Right now, He’s in a coma” _

He had called Pepper on his Jet to clear his schedule for the next couple of days. She had sighed but agreed and told him to wish steve well when he got there for her.

He had landed and saw that Clint was waiting for him. The blonde omega smiling with a pair of purple sunglasses as tony walked up to him. 

“Nat told me you were coming, so I came to greet the team mom.”

Tony smirked at him and they both walked inside. “Team Mom? Really?”

Clint was nodding his head as they went down the elevator. 

“So who's the Dad?” He knew the answer, but he just wanted to hear it. 

“We’ll see him in a bit, don’t you worry.” The blonde laughed. 

They hit their floor and Tony was surprised to see all the security standing guard. Throwing a pointed look at the guards, Tony asked. “You guys expecting something to happen?”

Clint nodded towards the beta and they were let through. “Someone, more likely.” He said a little under his breath. 

Tony was about to ask him what he meant by that, but they opened the door to Steve’s room and he clenched his jaw at how the other blonde looked. 

Steve was unconscious and was hooked up to several machines. Tony knew that the blonde was capable of getting hurt, but it had just seemed so far out in left field, that he never really considered him getting this badly injured. 

The door to the restroom in the room opened and out stepped a tall dark beta. He was surprised to see tony, but nodded in greeting. Clint nodded back and went to sit by the window, leaving Tony to introduce himself.

The beta stepped up to him and stuck out his hand. “Sam Wilson. Nice to meet you, Mr. Stark.”

Tony shook his hand and smiled, trying to put his unease at seeing Steve in the back of his mind. “Mr. Stark was my dad. Tony’s fine, Sam.”

Sam smiled at him and then looked back to Steve, and the smile fell. 

“How is he?” Tony moved to sit on the chair opposite Sam, eyes going back to the blonde. 

“Not gonna lie. He’s in real bad shape, but he’ll pull through.”

The heart monitor was beeping steadily next to him, and that same ache in his chest started up again, looking at the alpha’s battered form. 

“Yeah, he will.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	2. Chapter 2

Sam and Clint had left the night before. Clint to go pick up Natasha from the airport, and Sam to go take a shower and sleep at home before coming back in the morning now that Tony was looking after Steve.

He would get some naps in here and there, but for the most part he stayed awake. Steve stayed asleep.

On the third night that Tony spent the night in the hospital, Nat walked in. The red headed alpha hadn’t come to see Steve yet, but she was here now. She stayed leaning on the doorframe the entire time, not stepping a foot farther into the room. 

The three of them were quiet in the hospital room, but she broke the silence after what seemed like hours. “How long have you been here, Tony?”

He smirked, but didn’t look at her, eyes firmly on the blonde. “I have a feeling you already know the answer to that, super spy.”

If there was one thing that always unnerved him about Natasha, it was that she was virtually scentless. He didn’t know if it was her own doing, or it was done to her. But none the less, she never let anything on with her scent. So when he caught a slight whiff of pity in her, he turned around in shock. 

She was looking at him, her green eyes soft. “I wouldn’t get too close, Tony.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the fifth day, Steve woke up. 

His eyes had opened, groggy and unfocused as a voice spoke. 

“On your left.” 

There was quiet music playing in the background as the blonde turned and saw Sam sitting next to him. The beta smiled at him, and Steve gave him a poor excuse for one himself. 

Standing up, Sam patted down his sweatpants and made for the door. 

“I just woke up, and you can’t wait to be rid of me?” Steve joked.

Sam smirked at him over his shoulder. “Yeah, can’t stand looking at that mug of yours any longer. But someone is going to be happy you’re awake.” Sam said as he walked out of the room, not aware that Steve’s heart had stopped for a second. He gripped the blanket that was wrapped around him, he couldn’t scent yet but he heard two pairs of footsteps approaching his room now. 

The hope that had filled him vanished. 

Tony walked into the room and froze as he locked eyes with the alpha. 

A smile spread across the brunette’s face as he came to Steve’s side. “Well, well, well. Sleeping Beauty’s awake. And dang it, “ He sat down on his chair and looked up at Steve. “I didn’t even get to try and wake you up with a kiss.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Steve was discharged from the hospital after the eighth day. 

The nurses had been nice enough to him, and when he was signing himself out, he winced as tony gently clamped him on the shoulder. 

“You all set?”

Steve nodded, without looking at the brunette and started walking towards the exit. Sam was on the other side of him, staying quiet, but giving him looks. 

Tony pulled on his sunglasses, and took out his phone. His fingers speeding over the touchpad. “Pepper already set up a jet to take us to New York and your floor is good for you to move into.”

Steve stopped just past the automatic doors, Sam next to him, and tony having walked a little further.

Putting his phone down, Tony looks back at the two other men. “What’s up, guys?”

Sam in clenching his jaw, looking back and forth between Steve and Tony while Steve is looking right at the omega.

“I’m going home, Tony.”

Tony knows what he means, but he says it anyway. “Yeah, i know. I’m trying to get you there.”

“In Washington.”

Tucking the phone in his back pocket, he walks up to the blonde. “You can’t be serious? Half of DC wants your heads on a plate and you want to go back there?”

Steve doesn’t even miss a beat. 

“I have things i need to do.”

Sam looks away at his words, and Tony feels angry.

“Oh yeah, and what exactly do you need to do, Stripes?” Tony knows that they’re causing a scene, but he doesn’t care. There’s been tension surrounding the both of them since he walked into the hospital room to see Steve awake and looking disappointed. He had let it slide, but now he just wanted some answers.

Sam grabs both of their arms, and pulls them into a secluded waiting room, not wanting them to be in the news any more than they already were. 

“Guys, come on. Calm down.”

The both of them are silent for a moment before Steve speaks. “Sam, could you give us a minute please?”

The beta looks unsure, but Tony nods and he leaves them in the waiting room that reeks of frustration. 

The door closes softly, and Tony turns away from the alpha, running his hand through his hair. He paces along the length of the room, getting more and more agitated when Steve doesn’t say anything. Throwing his hand up, he shoots a glare at the blonde. 

“Well?! You asked sam to give us a minute. I sure as hell hope it’s to help me understand some things.”

Steve sighs heavily through his nose and crosses his arms. “I’m not going back with you, tony.”

Tony laughs as he continues to pace. “Yeah, you made that pretty much crystal clear there Stripes. I’m still waiting on the why, by the way?”

“I have-”

Tony stomps up to Steve, anger spiked in his scent. “Don’t you say that you have things to do. Do I need to remind you that you are currently in the process of being sued by the government? Or that you were almost killed by some crazy assassin?”

Steve looks at tony sharply at his last words. “You don’t know anything about what happened, tony.”

“EXACTLY! I don’t know ANYTHING!” 

Steve looks away again. “Natasha’s taking care of the hearings, she said that I owed her one.”

“Oh, well that makes everything great, right? Oh yeah, you were also beat to shit and can barely walk. How Do you know Hydra won’t send the same guy after you? The one that looked like he was going to cave in your head on the street?”

A pained expressed flashes across Steve’s fave. “He’s not going-”

“How do you know that,Steve!”

Letting his arms fall to his sides, Steve voice rises. “Because he’s the one that saved me!” 

Tony stares at the blonde in shock, before something clicks in his head. Sam not wanting to go into detail about the assassin, Steve defending his attacker, how the person had saved him. 

“You know him.”

“I need to find him, Tony.”

Running a hand over his face, Tony looks back at Steve. At how utterly pathetic he looks in this moment, bruised and limping with hurt clouding his scent. At how the startings of a bond between them ache in his chest. 

“Why?”

“Because he’s my friend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i think i made steve kind of an asshole


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr @jibblyuniverse

After that incident in the hospital, Tony and Steve went their separate ways. Sam throwing sorry looks at him as he and Steve pulled up a taxi. 

Pepper was waiting for him when he got home, her soft scent welcoming him. “No steve?” 

“Fuck that guy.” Tony threw himself on the couch and poured himself a drink.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

A couple of months went by and the team met up a few times, but everyone kept pretty much to themselves. The meetings that they did have, Steve and Tony were in charge. 

When they had missions together, everyone would spent the night at the tower and that was when Tony felt the most part of a real pack. He, of course, still didn’t get much sleep. His episodes had lessened since he removed the reactor from his chest but he still got them. During one such night, he was down in his lab, adding more adjustments to a suit and scanning through security footage of all the levels in the tower. The cameras were in each member's living room and was wide enough to have a clear sight of the kitchens. The only ones that had actually fallen asleep were Bruce and Thor. Natasha was laying on the couch with Clint, letting his head gently rest on her chest. 

The mission they had had today had been rough. Natasha taking a hit to her sternum and Clint had rushed to her side, putting an arrow in between the monster that had charged his alpha. 

Seeing that their moment was personal, he switched to Steve’s feed. Sam had been at the tower earlier, a folder tucked under his arm. He wasn’t an official member yet, but Tony had already made him plans for his own floor. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Steve had smiled at the dark skinned beta and embraced him when they had returned. Tony tried not to feel the jab of jealousy that he did when Steve’s hands lingered on the other man’s shoulders. 

The blonde alpha’s blue eyes had landed on the folder and the smile had fallen. 

The team, except for Clint and Natasha who were taken to the medical floor, had had a closing meeting and Tony was aware of the air of tension around Steve. His eyes never leaving the closed cover of the folder Sam had given him during the entire meeting. 

When it had ended, Tony had gripped his arm, eyes pinched. 

“Hey, big guy.”

Steve’s eyes looked down at his and Tony was reminded that Steve was older than he looked. The blonde didn’t shrug off the contact but had taken a small step to the side so he was face to face with Tony.

“What is it, Tony?”

He didn’t miss the way Steve placed the folder a little out of Tony’s line of sight, but he ignored it.

“You hungry? I know that with that super soldier metabolism you have, you must be starving, right?”

Tony tried for a playful tone, but his heart had been beating out of his chest waiting for the blonde to reject him. 

Steve eyes moved, searching his, before he seemed to come to a decision. 

“Sure.”

Tony’s eyes widened at the acceptance, but quickly recovered. Grinning up at the blonde, he knocked his knuckles against Steve’s chest. “How do burgers sound? I’ll order them and we can chill on the couch.”

Steve let out a chuckle and looked away, smiling. “You bet, Tony. I just need to go change and i’ll be back.”

Tony took out his phone and ordered the food up, walking into his penthouse and smiling up at a confused looking Pepper. 

“Somebody’s in a good mood” She said with a soft smile on her face, bringing the bottle of water up to her lips to drink out of. She was sitting at the bar, sheet reports spread out in front of her. 

Tony went up to her and placed his chin on her shoulder. 

She scrunched up her nose at him. “You smell like a lawn mower.”

He laughed and stepped back, heading towards his room to take a shower. “Steve’s coming up to eat.” He called out as he shut the door behind him. 

He didn’t get to see Pepper’s eyes widened and then her eyebrows furrow, taking another sip of water and frowning at the papers in front of her saying that they surpassed their quater.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pepper stepped out to talk with Maria about some added security on a few of the lower levels when Steve stepped out of the elevator and into Tony’ floor. 

Tony was already on the couch, taking out the burgers from the bag. 

Without looking up,Tony spoke. “I didn’t know how much you wanted, so i ordered you three.” 

Steve smiled and took the seat opposite, leaning across the table and taking one from the pile. “Thank you.” 

Tony nodded and then asked Jarvis to bring up the News. They both relaxed into their seats as the ae in comfortable silence, watching the coverage of what had happened today. Tony had a habit of turning on the news whenever they finished a mission, wanting to know how the public reacted to them. 

They showed a shaky camera footage of when Nat had been hit and Tony winced. Not having actually seen the hit when they were out. But he saw it now. How she had flew back and crashed into the wall of a building, falling into a heap. Not even a second later, the monster falling to the ground as an arrow embedded into his head. The camera didn’t pan back to Natasha but they both knew that Clint was kneeling next to the redhead, anxious and furious. 

“I went to go check on Nat n medical.” Steve shared as the footage cut back to the reporter in the aftermath. 

“She okay?” 

Steve took another bite of his food, nodding with a far off look on his face. 

“She has a few bruised ribs, and she fractured her collarbone, but she says that she’s fine. Clint, though.” 

Tony looked at him, knowing more or less where this was headed.

“He was pretty protective of her when I walked in. I had to talk him down from attacking a couple of the doctors when Nat was still unconscious. After she woke up, he refused to leave her side.”

Tony looked at Steve as the blonde continued to blankly stare at the news in front of hi, chewing slow and thoughts miles away.

Tony let out a shuddering breath. “They say that an omega who has to protect its mate is more dangerous than an alpha. They’re at their strongest when fighting for their hurt mate or when their offspring is in danger.”

Steve still wasn’t looking at him. “It’s true.”

Tony felt the air shift between them as he set down his food. Eyes never leaving the side of Steve’s face. He knew that what he was about to ask was a sore subject.

“They say that before you fell into the ice,” Tony saw how Steve’s eyes snapped out of that far off look and he looked at Tony from the corner of his eyes. “You and your sniper were mated.”

Steve turned to fully look at him, expression stone. 

“Though, the army didn’t allow omegas to enlist back then.”

Steve’s shoulders were tight with tension. 

“But the medical tests weren’t that reliable back then. Someone could easily fake their results in a gender rank test.”

“What are you getting at, Tony.” the words were emotionless, but the blue eyes were full of warning.

“Barnes’ medical record classifies him as a beta.”

“Don’t talk about Bucky, Tony.”

Tony stopped as Steve’s words were laced with venom. His heart rate fast and scent spiking in relation to Steve’s. 

“Were you two bonded?”

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Steve had left after that, not answering any of Tony’s questions, but saying that he was tired. 

Now Tony was looking at the blonde through his security cameras. 

The folder that Sam had brought was spread out in front of him, and Tony was tempted to zoom in on the images, but resisted. 

Dumm-e knocked over his cup of coffee that had been on the edge of his work table, and Tony turned around to scold the machine. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this ch brought to you by "Life of Pablo"  
> leave a comment and kudos to feed my family


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i watched Age of Ultron once and then erased it from my memory, so there will be canon differences

Steve is under house arrest. Technically.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Sam and Steve stare at the carnage that has been left for them._

_They were following a lead in the Winter Soldier files that Natasha had given him, and were currently standing in the middle of a HYDRA factory in the middle of Germany. But they hadn’t been the first ones there._

_There are bodies littering the ground, most of them shot in the head. No one is left alive._

_\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_It’s been six months of hoping on planes and staying in shady foreign hotels, trying to catch a glimpse of a metal arm. Every time they get a lead, it seems as if they had just passed Bucky by a day or two._

_Steve had told Tony that he was taking a “vacation”, to which the omega had gone quiet and then accepted. Telling him that “the kids miss him”. Steve had smiled at the mention of their unofficial pack, because the avengers felt like that to him. Or at least they were beginning to._

_He frowned as his chest ached at the thought of Stark, and he absently rubbed at his chest to will it away. He wasn’t naive, despite what Tony would believe. He knows that they are compatible. That all those times spent discussing the tower, keeping each other company, the way Tony would seek his approval were the signs of a bond forming. He knew that, and if this had been another life, another universe, the possibility of being with the snarky omega would have been… It would have been something._

_But it’s not another life. It’s not another universe._

_He was a man haunted by his past, and his past has come back to haunt him in return._

_‘He’s a ghost story’ Natasha’s words rung in his ears._

_Rubbing a hand over his face, he let out a sigh that felt like it took all the oxygen away from his body. Those few months before bringing down HYDRA, before the Winter Soldier, he had been dragging through his life. In the back of his mind, he knew he had been in depression with the excessive workload and physical activities that he made himself do._

_‘It sounds an awful lot like running away from your problems, Steve’ Sam had said, and he had known the beta was right. He had been running, but not anymore. He had something more important. Someone._

_The second that mask had fallen off in the middle of the street, his whole world came crashing down around him. And the phantom ache in his chest pulled taunt. The bond that had been dying with Steve thinking the other was dead, pulling taunt and flaring to life as his eyes locked onto steel grey._

_“Bucky?”_

_“Who the hell’s Bucky?”_

_He had almost died, would have, if not for being pulled out of the water. Sam told him that they had found him unconscious on the shore alone, and there was no way he had swam out. Bucky had saved him. That last few seconds on the hellicarrier where he swore tears had glistened in the omega’s eyes and horror at recognition flashed over the features Steve could sketch from memory._

_His omega. His mate. His Bucky._

_When he had woken up in the hospital, and he saw Sam come in with Tony instead of Bucky, he knew that Bucky had vanished. He was a ghost, after all._

_\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Sam had had enough of hoping all over Europe, and he told Steve that they needed a break. Neither of them were sleeping, and Steve was had had two collapsing spells.

“We’re going home, Steve. He obviously doesn’t want to be found, and when he does”, the beta placed a hand on the blonde’s shoulder. “We’ll go and get him.”

Defeat and exhaustion had poured into his body on the plane ride back to the states. He didn’t even notice that he had fallen asleep until the plane had landed. In New York.

Steve looked at how Sam had already gotten their bag, and was walking towards the front of the plane. Leaving no choice but for Steve to follow and clench his jaw as he saw Maria Hill leaning against a long black car for them. 

He caught up with Sam on the Stairs. “What are we doing here? I thought you said we were going home?”

Sam didn’t look back at him, and Steve could tell he was tired by his scent. “We’re going to one of our homes. Avengers Tower to be more accurate. Or completely accurate. Whichever you prefer.”

Maria smiled at them and nodded hello, to which Steve and Sam returned, before she opened the back door and got inside, leaving it open for them to follow.

Steve grabbed hold of Sam’s arm before the beta ducked into the car.

“Why are we going to Avengers Tower? Did Tony call with a mission or something?”

Gently pulling his arm out of the alpha’s grip, he turned so that they were facing each other. “No, he didn’t. But we’re going anyway, because I don’t trust you not to fall back into either the obsessive research of possible leads, or the routine you had before all of this happened.”

Steve felt like he had been slapped.

“We’re taking a break, Steve. And being around some of your other friends will be good for you.”

Sam gave him a worried look. “I know that he means a lot to you, but running yourself into the ground won’t do anybody any good.”

He hung his head, avoiding the other’s eyes. “I know.”

He rubbed his hands over his face until they rested in a triangle against his nose. “You’re right. “

Sam smiles and pats him on the chest. “Usually am. “

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s rare that all the team is all the Tower, but everyone is there. Tony naturally wants to throw a party.

The night was comfortable and Steve actually felt happy. They had taken turns trying to lift Thor’s hammer, and everyone failing miserably.

Then Ultron happened.

And he had never been more upset with Tony. He knew that the omega had a need to try and protect everyone, and he understood him, to a certain level. They had yelled in each other’s faces, their conflicting scents setting the team on edge.

Then they had been compromised.

Clint had been the only one who had gotten out of the factory unaffected by whatever the female omega with telekinetic powers had done to them.

_He had turned to see Peggy smiling and beautiful. “The war’s over, Steve.”_

He gritted his teeth together and forced the tears that were threatening to form in his eyes

_He spun her. Her curls bouncing with their movements as he finally got to dance with her like he promised. The music had died and she cupped his face in her hands before giving him a kiss on his cheek._

_“I think I have the next dance?” His heart had stopped as Peggy stepped away from him, smiling and turning him around to face Bucky. He had his hair short and slicked to the side, hat tipped ever so slightly and uniform neatly pressed._

_“Buck?” Steve took a step towards him, noticing how everyone else in the hall had disappeared and they were left standing in the center of the dance floor._

_The omega was smiling as he outstretched his hand. “What? I’m not good enough for a dance, you punk?”_

He forced his feelings down, trying to keep it together in the aircraft, because everyone else’s scent was scattering all over the place. He needed to be their bedrock. He stood, going to stand besides Clint and facing his team. Trying to lift their spirits with his words, he locked eyes with Tony and flinched at the tears that had gathered in the omega’s eyes.

“We are not monsters.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They had almost fallen out of the sky, but they didn’t.

Now the team was in a new headquarters, and Tony had stepped aside. Him and Steve walking along the lawn as the omega was getting ready to leave.

There had been a moment between them at Clint’s farm, and now it was tense.

_“I don’t trust somebody who doesn’t have a dark side.”_

_“Trust me. You just haven’t seen it yet.”_

Tony’s car pulled up beside them, the new Ai no doubt driving it. After they all had landed safety on the ground in Sokovia, Tony hadn’t been able to look at Vision. He had Jarvis’ voice, but it wasn’t him, and Steve knew that it was taking its toll on Tony. Another price he had to pay for binging Ultron into the world. Losing his oldest friend.

The door opened automatically as the car parked in front of them, the female voice of the AI greeting them both.

Tony turned towards him, so that they were face to face. “So, this is where I leave you? You sure an old man like you can handle all these kids running around?” It was said jokingly, but there was longing in the other’s scent. He didn’t want to leave. This was as much his pack as it was Steve’s, but the self-blame Tony was inflicting on himself was making him step down.

Steve tried to smile at the brunette, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “You don’t have to go, Tony. You know that, right?”

The omega laughed, looking at the ground for a second and then looking back at him. Tony’s eyebrows were pinched, and then he slowly reached up.

Steve could have avoided the kiss on his cheek, but he stayed rooted in place. It was probably only a second or two, and then Tony took a step back and put on his sunglasses, getting into his car. He closed the door and turned to Steve out of the open driver’s window. “See you around, Stripes.”

The window closes up and the omega sped down the pathway.

Steve stuffed his hands in his pockets, cheek still warm. “See you around, Tony.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walking back inside, he sees Natasha waiting for him against a wall. Her arms are crossed against her chest. “You and Tony done starring into each other’s eyes?” He ignores her question and walks past her to where the others are waiting for them.

They see Steve and he feels like an actual pack Alpha with the way they are staring up at him. Nick was gone, and now so was Tony.

He looks at the newest members of their team and takes in a deep breath. He didn’t need to really discuss anything with Sam, because even though he hadn’t been an official member until now, he still knew how they operated.

He turned to Vision, the way he lowered himself to the ground as Steve walked up to him.

Steve began to explain some of their policies and procedures, but was politely interrupted as the being stated that he still had Jarvis’ memory and knew everything he needed to.

The blonde laughed and then let him go on his way.

That only left one left.

Wanda was standing in the middle of the room. She had been given new clothes, of her choosing, and a room to live in. Though the heavy smell of sadness and longing clung to her scent. She was young and the only family she had had was gone. She felt alone without her brother.

Wanda and Pietro were omegas, and Steve wished that they could have saved the other. Clint had blamed himself the most, saying how the “sorry bastard” had saved him. Wanda had been shadowing the older omega, because Clint had been the one to get them to fight. But now he blonde was gone, called out on a mission, and she radiated nerves, having no one to cling to.

Stepping up to her, Steve gave her a smile. “Hello, Wanda.”

She tried to give him her own smile, but it came up short. “Hello, Steve.”

He placed a hand on her shoulder and she jumped a little at the contact, before settling down. “How have you been doing? Do you like it here?” The brunette looked out of the big windows that covered the entire wall, before going back to Steve. “I do. It’s nice, and you all treat me very kindly. Thank you.”

Steve brings his hand back at his side and tries to put off a calming scent, the scent of an alpha reassuring a member of his pack. She picks up on it and lets her eyes widen at him. He knows that she still doesn’t consider herself a part of them, but she is. Her and Pietro had fought besides them until the end and she more than earned her place. Pietro had too.

“It’s a nice day outside.” The blonde said tucking his hands in his pockets and relaxing his body posture as much as he could. She was giving him a confused look, so he continued. “Would you like to take a walk outside? With me? You don’t have to, if you don’t want to. I was going to go out for a jog, anyway. But a walk sounds good, too” He made sure that his voice was gentle, so that she wouldn’t feel pressured to go if she didn’t want to.

After a couple of seconds of silence, a small smile was on her face. “Yes, the weather is nice to be outside.”

They ended up going to their respected bedrooms to change out of their uniforms and into more comfortable clothing. Steve in his sweatpants and t-shirt, and her in a loose hoodie and jeans.

They took the trail that wrapped around the building and it was bout twenty minutes later that Wanda was looking off to the side. Steve followed her line of sight and decided to walk in that direction, going off the smooth pavement and onto the soft grass. Wanda had stayed behind for a second, before following him.

They both knew where they were going, and when they reached a small stone tablet on the ground that read “Pietro” they stopped.

They stood in silence and Steve had the thought that they should have brought some flowers with them. Wanda’s eyes were tearing up as she stared at the ground where her brother was buried. She slowly kneeled on the ground and a flare of red coiled from the ground and a white rose spurted before his eyes.

“Have you ever lost someone?” Her accent was thicker with the emotion stuck in her trembling throat.

Steve looks at her shaking shoulders and knows that she is crying, and the strongest emotion going through him is to protect her. This girl who was basically still a child and has already lost so much and has had so much done to her.

Brown hair, grey eyes, and a cocksure grin flash in his mind. Red lipstick and the promise of a dance.

He kneels down next to her and places a hand on her back. “Yes.” It’s said quietly, but she hears it none the less and she lets out another sob.

He feels her turn towards him and bury herself in his chest, she feels so small as he wraps his arms around her and lets her cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr @jibblyuniverse  
> leave kudo and comments to help feed my family


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr @jibblyuniverse

It’s been a year, and there are absolutely no leads when he starts to look for Bucky again.

He throws himself into leading the avengers now that Fury and Tony are gone. Tony still comes around every once in a while, checking up on the kids as Clint has put it. But the omega mostly keeps his distance, until he drops by a picture of a young man being projected to them from his phone. And he explains how he had died in Sokovia.

He brings in Ross and then the Accords.

Steve nows where he’s coming from, but he can’t bring himself to sign the damn thing. There’s too much left to chance, and too much that can be taken advantage of. But all that comes to screeching halt to him when his phone lights up with a notification at the table while Ross is lecturing them.

_[She’s gone. She died in her sleep]_

He pushes himself from the table, chair scraping the floor as he doesn’t even look at anyone.

“I have to go.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

He dresses in a suit, and Sam is next to him the whole time. Never leaving his side.

He feels like he’s a million miles away and almost a hundred years in the past. She’s gone.

Sharon had spoken on behalf of her aunt, and then everyone leaves. He stays in the church, not surprised to see Natasha there, dressed in black and looking as beautiful as ever.

“We’re all heading out. I’ve got space if you change your mind.”

“I’m not going to sign them, Nat.”

“I know.”

He looks up at her, at this person who he considers one of the closest friends he has right now.

“Then why are you here?”

She gives him a fleeting smile, her eyes sincere. “I didn’t want you to be alone.”

The next time he sees her, it’s from far away and she is looking around herself. Ambulances and police surrounding the scene of the bombing.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sharon had given him the file and disappeared telling him to move as fast as he could.

He walks into the small apartment, newspaper on the windows, and signs of life everywhere. He sees a notebook with place markers and picks it up. He flips through the pages and his heart stops as he sees a picture of himself, torn out from the exhibit of him in Washington.

The air around him changes and he turns as he lets the scent sink into him.

There’s Bucky, standing perfectly still and looking at him.

“Do you know who I am?”

There’s some hesitation in the other’s face before he speaks, trying to go for casual but failing. “You’re Steve. I learned about you from an exhibit.”

“You’re lying.”

Bucky clenches his jaw and looks at the notebook in Steve’s hands.

“Why did you save me that day? Why did you pull me out of the river?”

“I don’t know.”

Steve knows that he’s lying again and takes slow steps towards the other. Bucky doesn’t move, just keeps looking at him.

“You went after Hydra.”

Bucky is looking up at him, only a few feet separating them from each other and he nods.

“then you disappeared.”

“I didn’t want to do it anymore.” It’s said quietly.

“Go after Hydra?”

He shakes his head, hair bouncing with the movement. “I didn’t want to kill anyone. I don’t want to do that anymore.”

Steve can see how Bucky’s shoulders are shaking and if it weren’t for the omega’s scent, he would think Bucky was scared. He slowly rises his hand and brings it to the side of the brunette’s face, cupping it and sees how Bucky leans into it.

Bucky’s grey eyes are staring into his, and he never thought that he would get to see them like that again. Full of recognition and heart swelling affection.

“I missed you.” Steve says quietly as he brings their foreheads together, the cap that was on his head falling off with the movement.

He can feel fingers gripping into the fabric of his uniform and how Bucky presses himself against him. “I know.”

He strokes against Bucky’s cheekbone and look down at him, the omega still looks unsure but his eyes are lowering and he’s tilting his head to the side. The sight of him exposing his neck to Steve in submission almost makes the blonde tear up, especially since he can see the slight scar there.

It’s their bonding mark and he actually lets out a sob. Bucky places his metal hand on the back of Steve’s head and brings in down to his neck. “Bite me.”

“I already have, Buck.”

_“Steve, they’re surrounding the building.”_

Sam’s voice comes through his earpiece and they both take deep breaths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter will be done in the next couple of days  
> leave comments and kudos to help feed my family tonight


	6. Chapter 6

Tony’s waiting for him in the room that Steve and Sam are to be held in till something else can be arranged.

The omega is a mixture of frustrated and stressed, and he looks at Steve with pleading. To say that the blonde is unaffected would be a lie, but he fiddles with the pen in his hand and knows that he won’t change his mind. About anything.

“Give me a break!” Tony yells as they argue about the accords again, and about Wanda.

The screens outside of the room light up with the surveillance that is in the holding cell that Bucky is in. Tony takes the case with the pens and leaves Steve and Sam in the room, not having it in him to look at the alpha anymore right now.

Tony crosses his arms tightly against his chest as he watches Barnes start to be questioned by the psychoanalyst. He’s seen pictures of the other omega before, from the war. And he’s having a hard time putting the man on the camera feed together with the smiling brunette in an army uniform. The Barnes’ in the pictures was different from the one they have contained in the sublevels. This Barnes, with his long hair, stubble, and metal arm looks tired.

Tony throws a look over his shoulder at the glass room that Steve and Sam are in, they can see the video but can’t hear anything. Rhodey had told him that when they subdued the four of them, Barnes was completely compliant. Steve was the one who had resisted when they had started to place Barnes in the containment unit.

_Rhodey’s face was pinched when he looked over at Steve, the blonde following the team of people that were transferring Bucky to his holding cell. “He was ready to fight against our guys, but Barnes stopped him.”_

_Tony looked at Rhodey, confused at why the way the beta was stalling. “What?”_

_The beta gave his friend a sympathetic look, knowing Tony’s feelings for Steve. “He calmed him down with an omegan whine, Tony. The kind that only mates use to comfort each other.”_

Tony suspected that they were bonded, but seeing them now, seeing the way Steve is practically pressed against the glass to see Barnes still makes his chest hurt.

Then it all goes to shit when the power goes out.

Him and Nat turn to the glass, but Steve and Sam are gone. And so is King T’Challa.

Natasha is rushing with him along the hallways to try and find them, the alpha nervous. “Please tell me you brought a suit?” She asks and Tony undoes the button of his jacket, people round them panicking to get the power back on.

“Yup, sure did. It’s a lovely Tom Ford.” They’re so screwed.

\-------------------------------------------------------

Tony is behind the column watching as Barnes cuts through agents like they were children. He initiates his glove, the only thing on him, and steps out. The sound waves that he projects do almost nothing against the other omega, and tony tries his best to not get killed.

He manages to cover the head of the gun Barnes has pointed at him right before the bullet that was aimed at his head goes off.

His eyes are wide as he takes in the hostility in the other omega’s scent, and the pure bloodlust in his grey eyes that weren’t there before.

After that more fighting takes place and then Steve, Sam and Barnes go missing. The whole department is in an uproar to find them, throwing around words like “rogue” and “Criminals”. Ross grills him and he jokes to Natasha if the numb feeling in his arm is normal.

Steve kneels down to help Bucky get his arm out of the machine that they had him pinned under. Sam is keeping watch, giving them a moment alone.

Steve lifts the heavy weight off of Buck’s arm, and the omega lets out a whine as he pulls himself free. There’s a loud clink as Steve sets down the load and the blonde looks over his mate. Bucky is looking down at his metal hand, and Steve can see that there’s a bit of blood in the lines of his knuckles.

Steve gathers Bucky into his arms, letting the omega bury his face in his neck and grab hold of his shirt. “It wasn’t you, Buck.”

The words are muffled, but can still be heard. “But I still did it.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Tony walks into the abandoned facility in Siberia and watches as both Steve and Barnes turn to him, armed and ready for an attack. He lets the iron man mask fall away and lets them see his face, hands up in surrender.

They move in synchronization, Barnes the offensive while Steve is kneeling down with his shield on the defensive. And it hits him, like a punch to the lungs, how much he never stood a chance.

They call a truce and make their way through the building. The soldiers that they were all so worried about are dead. Shot in the head, and Zemo is safely behind a barrier.

There’s a monitor that comes alive with some security footage, and Tony feels his whole body turn to ice. “I know that road.”

There’s a car that crashes straight into a tree and a flash in the background that he can’t make out until it comes back around. It’s Barnes. “What is this?” He says into the air, voice shaking as he sees how his father stumbles out of the wreckage. He feels the hits his dad takes to the face as if he had switched places, but it doesn’t stop. There’s the trembling voice of his mother calling out for his dad and he wants to shut off the video. He keeps on watching as Barnes walks around the car calmly and strangles the life from his mom.

He knows his scent is probably throwing out despair and sorrow in waves as he watches the omega in the footage face the camera, no denying who is staring back at him and shoot.

Tony takes a step towards Barnes, but a hand pulls him back. “Tony, wait!”

“did you know?” Steve looks shaken, and there’s a guilty glint in his eyes.

“I didn’t know it was him.”

Tony shakes his hand away from him, fully facing the alpha. “Don’t give me that shit! Did you know?!”

Steve stares at him, and Tony knows the answer before Steve even opens his mouth. The alpha’s face giving it away. “Yes.” The reply is choked out and it feels like a hot blade through Tony’s chest.

The betrayal and grief cloud his actions and suddenly, they’re all fighting. Steve tries to get him to understand that Bucky wasn’t in his right mind and in the back of Tony’ head, he knows it’s true. But he just can’t listen to reason, right now.

He knocks Steve away from him, and then Barnes is charging at him. There’s fury in the other omega’s grey eyes, and Tony is backed into the wall. Bucky is furiously scratching at his chest, trying to get to the reactor, and when Tony hears the crunch of metal, he does the only thing he can think of. He fires a blast from his chest.

Barnes falls to the ground, pain saturating the air around them and the metal arm is gone. Steve lets out a growl and comes after him.

Tony fights and fights and fights, red haze and rage blinding him until he’s on his back.

Steve is punching at his mask until it breaks off, and then he reaches for his shield. Tony instinctively throws his arms up, thinking that he was about to die. The shield doesn’t cut through his neck. It slams against his chest and the light from the reactor slowly starts to die off.

Steve is panting, looking down at Tony. Then he stands, going to where Barnes is crippled in pain on the floor.

Tony rolls over on his side, seeing the way Steve has Bucky tucked into his side, carrying the omega. “That shield doesn’t belong to you! My father made it!” There are angry tears in Tony’s eyes as he sees the line f Steve’s back straighten.

Then the loud clank of the shield hitting the ground is the only thing that plays in his mind as he watches Steve walk away from him. From everything, Barnes walking right along with him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i decided to add something

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr @jibblyuniverse

It’s a year after Steve had sent him the cell phone in the envelope and his half assed apology, when another envelope comes for him. There’s no address except his own and he instinctively knows it’s from Steve.

He walks into his house and makes sure it’s on lockdown, that there’s no devices recording him.

He sits at is table and opens the tab at the top, tearing it a little. Then he dumps whatever’s inside and it’s another note, and a picture.

He picks up the letter first, his hands shaking as the neat handwriting of Steve is easy to recognize.

_Dear Tony,_

_I hope you are alright. I heard about Pepper and you getting married in the fall and hope the best for the both of you. I know you probably don’t want to hear from me, but I just wanted to let you know that we’re okay. Live as fugitives isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, but we get by alright._

_I know there were some things between us, but I want you to be happy tony._

_I also wanted to tell you something, else. Sam advised me against it, but I felt like you should know._

_Me and Bucky had a baby. It’s a little girl._

_I sent you a picture of her, and if you want to burn it that’s fine. Burn this letter too if you want._

_I’m sorry about everything, but I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me eventually._

_Take care of yourself Tony._

Tony rereads the last couple of sentences of the letter again, and then looks at the upside down picture that had come in the envelope. Turning it over, he feels his chest tighten at the sight of a tin baby buddle in blankets against Steve’s chest. His face is cropped out, but Tony knows it him. Like how he knows that it’s Barnes that is asleep facing the opposite way in the background.

The picture must have been taken right after the delivery.        

There’s padding of feet behind him, and he lets arms wrap around his shoulders.

Pepper places a kiss against the crown of his head, and looks down at the picture in Tony’s hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> babyyyyyy

**Author's Note:**

> now, i need to finish ch 2


End file.
